Four Tet/ Kieran Hebden biography
1977 - Kieran Hebden born
1997 - Kieran’s first band, Fridge, formed at school with friends Adem Ilhan and Sam Jeffers, release their first record, Ceefax, for Trevor Jackson’s Output label.
1998 - The first Four Tet single ThirtySixTwentyFive, (which lasts 36 minutes and 25 seconds) and the second, Misnom’, are released by Output.
1999 - The first Four Tet album, Dialogue is released by Output. Its adoption of the principles of free jazz and electronic experimentation immediately sees it acclaimed as a benchmark release.
2000 – Fridge become Badly Drawn Boy’s backing band for a few months.
2001 - The first Four Tet album for Domino, Pause is released. One of the stand-out tracks, No More Mosquitoes is released as a single with a remix 12” entitled ‘Paws’ featuring mixes from Manitoba and Koushik.
2002 - Kieran works on the forthcoming third Four Tet album, as ever at home and with very basic equipment. He also starts to work more on performing the Four Tet music in a live context and becomes interested in the idea of being able to improvise electronic music in real time. That summer he is invited to tour with Radiohead through Spain and Portugal and in the autumn he tours with Super Furry Animals in the US. From then on live performance becomes a key part of the Four Tet creative process.
2003 - The third Four Tet album Rounds (Domino) is released in May and garners across the board praise for its bold innovation and intense musicality. She Moves She is released as a single prior to the album, which is followed by the single, As Serious As Your Life, and the My Angel Rocks Back And Forth EP. Kieran tours with Prefuse 73 and Manitoba through North America. In October Kieran undertakes his biggest ever UK tour with Animal Collective in support and goes back to the US for further touring with Prefuse 73.
2004 - Kieran tours Europe with Stereolab. The largest Four Tet event to date takes place at the end of April when Kieran curates a bill at London’s Coronet Theatre which includes many of his favourite acts, among them Papa M, Explosions In The Sky, Manitoba, Animal Collective and Fennesz. In May Kieran tours Taiwan and China, performing in Taipei, Macau and Shenzhen. Late Night Tales, a compilation of some of Kieran’s favourite tracks, is released by Azuli. Kieran produces James Yorkston’s second album, Just Beyond the River.
2005 - A Smile Around The Face, the first 12” single from the fourth Four Tet album, followed by the LP, Everything Ecstatic, is released. The album brought with it another shift in style - a darker, more complex sound. Kieran plays an all-nighter at London’s Koko featuring Battles and Hot Chip, as well as Steve Reid with his full band. Domino released a DVD version of Everything Ecstatic featuring video clips for each album track plus a CD containing new material.
2006 - Kieran Hebden works and tours internationally with legendary jazz drummer Steve Reid and releases collaborative efforts, The Exchange Sessions volume 1 and 2 through Domino. Four Tet’s Remixes, a 2 disc compilation of remixes is also released this year. The first disc contains twelve Four Tet remixes selected by Hebden, with the second disc comprising of every official remix to date (both by Hebden himself and by other artists) of Four Tet tracks
2007 - Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid release their 3rd LP, Tongues, through Domino. Kieran starts a regular DJ residency at James Holden's Border Community night at The End in London which continues until the club closes its doors in 2009.
2008 - NYC, the fourth album from Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid is released. Hebden also collaborated with composer David Arnold to write Crawl, End Crawl, the song used for the end credits of the film Quantum Of Solace. Domino release an EP by Four Tet entitled Ringer. Kieran begins a DJ residency at London’s Plastic People where he tries out new material whilst working on his forthcoming album. He performs live at ATP (curated by Explosions in the Sky).
2009 – Hebden worked on a two track 12” collaboration with Burial. He performed live as Four Tet at various UK and European festivals including Green Man, Benicassim, Route Du Rock, Electric Picnic and Field Day. The Four Tet 12” of Love Cry (backed with Our Bells), plus a 12” with Love Cry remixes from Joy Orbison and Roska are released in November.
2010 - Four Tet’s fifth full length studio album and his first in over four years, There Is Love In You, is due to be released in January. Four Tet will play the Dome in London on Friday 12th February (with Joy Orbison), with further live dates in March.
Live
Kieran has performed live as Four Tet all over the world playing with many of the world’s best and most innovative musicians and artists, including Radiohead, Manitoba/Caribou, Prefuse 73, Boom Bip, Icarus, Battles, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Explosions in the Sky, Papa M, Animal Collective, Fennesz, Stereolab, Tortoise, Six Oragns of Admittance, Super Furry Animals, Mouse On Mars, Max Tundra, Adem, the Pastels and Lali Puna
Remixes
Four Tet has remixed work from Radiohead, Hot Chip, Bloc Party, Juana Molina, Madvillain, Jef Gilson, Sia, Bonobo, Beth Orton, Super Furry Animals, Badly Drawn Boy, Boom Bip, Lars Horntveth, Blue States, Pedro, Doves, James Yorkston, The Notwist, Kings of Convenience, Two Banks of Four, The Dining Rooms, His Name is Alive, Slag Boom Van Loom, Pole, Cinematic Orchestra, David Holmes, Aphex Twin, Urban Species and Cyne.
Kieran Hebden makes all his music at home on domestic computer equipment. Four Tet is the recording, live and DJ identity for Kieran Hebden’s work as an electronic musician.
This biography was provided by the artist or their representative.
